The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-07-21

derlying principles Of the Order which are ours
Fraternity. Charity and Loyalty.
But while this Is true we are, in all that pertains
20 the internal selfgovernment Of the Woman
Relief Corps, distinct organization. By which
mean we elect our own officers arrange for our
own times and places OF melting, and are amen
able to our own proper authorities, as the Grand
Army Posts are to theirs.
In the Grand Army OF the Republic there Is M
the National Encampment hich IL the supreme
authority, the exponent of which al interim is the
Commander-in-Chief. (2) There is the Department,
with its Department Commander, receiving orders
from the National Eucampment and the Com
mander-in Chief ~ There il the Post with its
Post Commander, receiving orders from the De
paTtmeut. Thus there IS grand chain from Post
to Department, and from Department 20 National
In the Woman's Relief Corps the same kind Of
relationship exists viz from Corps to Department,
from Department TO National.
Consequently Corps President true to her obli-
cations must obey the orders of the regularly con
siituted Department President the ID partment
President must obey the National President.
The Womnn's Relief Corps land In this speak
by authority as one of it3 fOunders) received the
right To use the word auxiliary from the Indian
apolis National Encampment of 1851, and In accord
ancc with this resolution effected National or
Ranizatiou at Denver in 1883. In giving this great
privilege the National Encampment imposed no
conditions, made no rules, prescribed no form or
order of work. 1t simply laid its official seal and
sanction upon the great woman movement in aid
of the Union veterans their widows and orphans,
with the implied understanding that the patriotism
and fidelity of their wives mothers, sisters and
daughters, and the born loyal women Of the Union
would hold them true to the principles under which
they were to organize.
With this also was the implied understanding
that should these women. so banded together, fall
short OF the trust imposed upon them, then the
National Encampment could withdraw from them
the right to use the word auxiliary" under which
such great things have been accomplished.
The Woman's Relief Corps, deeply sensible OF
the honor conferred upon them, tbereupon set to
work to- devise rules and regulations not only for
the furtherance of their organizations, but for the
protection and honor of the Grand Army OF the
Republic. And now please bear in mind that we
women made our own rules. The use OF the word
auxiliary" was our passport into every State and
Territory To every Post desiring to organize. But
we proceeded to impose upon ourselves the follow
ing conditions:
First That no subordinate Corps could organize
save as auxiiibry TO Post aud by vote of Post,
duly attesed By the signature of the Post Com
mander. This IS the local test of the need for
wonan's work in the GAR
second. That as soon rs live subordinate Corps
had been Organized in any Department of the
Grand Army Of the Republic. said Corps could
organize themselves into Department, elect Ofli-
GERS, hold Conventions and discharge all the duties
"a prescribed in Rules and Regulations. Bear ia
mind that all subordinate Corps might have been
governed directly from National Headquarters.
The organization of Departments was for the bet
ter conduct of Relief Corps work in the several
States, and to aid tile Department Of the Grand
Army IN any general work, such as for Soldiers
Homes, sOliicrs orphans and so ON.
In several of our Departments, as in Massachus-
etts, Ohio, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and
California, the Departments Of the Grand Army
have given a formal recognition to the Depart
ments 81 the WomIn's Relief Corps and invited
their aid aud cooperation in measures of State
relief In all such departments the WOman's Re-
lief Corps 10 in the most ourshing condition. doing
proudly and joyfuly the work assigned them to be
done. In some other Departments the Grand
Army, in its Department capacity, have given no
formal recognition To the Woman's Relief Corps,
or has failed To invite their operation as Depart
meuts In such States the progress of the WOman's
Relief Corps has been less marked by progress and
efficiency. But IN no case has the Departments
O. nfn itry fhn Nom uT4fa I.a-
lief Corps.
Third. The woman's Relief Corps has sought to
protect the Grand Army of the Republic by re-
framing to intrude upon them in their annual En-
campments should they be held at places where
Recommendations are insufficient for bOth. by turn
ing To sec. l. Art. 3, Chap 4, Rules and Regula-
tons" you will read: STATED meetings Of the Ma
tonal Convention shall be held annually at the
same time and in the same town or city where the
National Eneampment of the Grand Army of the
Republic Is held, unless by request OF the Grand
Army they be held ut some other place. You will
observe that nothing Is said about the holding of
Department Conventions. But as the compiler of
revised Rules and Regulations will say the rea-
son similar phraseolOsy was not used la connec-
ton with Department Conventions was for the
reason that the New England States at that time
were holding Fall conventions aud did not want
the rule imperative. For myself consider this
mistake aud believe the Rules and Regulations
should be 50 amended at the coming Encampment
to- fix the annual Conventions OF the W.R.C
National and Department at the same time a. the
GAR. National and Department. This with the
IL accommodations the W.R.C. Convention shall
be called for some contiguous point. that greet
ings can be exchanged and recommendations from
tile GAR. 10 the W.lC or vice versa, be received
and acted upon. In this way alone can we attain
to that high degree of usefulness which will make
US IN truth, as In name, auxiliary to the Grand
Army of the Republic.
Now for the Indiana complication. The Indian
apolis Department Convention of 1886 conferred
ment President in voting to her alone the power
to call the Convention of 1887, at such time and
place as she in her Judgment deemed best. But
having given her this power 10 the duty of the
Corps of the Department to stand by their own ac-
uOp, as expressed in Department Convention. III
the administration had not, in their opinion proved
in all respects satisfactory. their redress was in De-
pariment Convention duly called by Department
President. We must first learn To obey orders our
selves before we are In position to dictate author
lily To those who govern III our stead. The error
made by the Department Encampment, GA. p
was IN believing that upon them devOlved the right
end duty OF TeetifyinS supposed wrongs in the
WOmans Relief Corps.
Their duty in the matter was to advise the dIsap-
pointed members of the Wcman's Relief Corps to
bde the call of their President. Their redress if
they felt that the Department Woman's Relief
Corps had fallen short of its requirements was in
the passage Of resolutions addressed 20 the Ma
ional President, calling upon her To order such
inspection, or indicate such measures should
place the Department of Indiana WOman's Relief
Corps firm footing IS the Department. of
other States resting.
TO the question so often asked, What redress has
the Grand Army Post, Department National if
the woman's Relief Corps fails To perform its work
either in local, State or National capacity?
First, 10 has always an advisory power for IL was
not possible for the Wonans Relief Corps to do its
full work without close operation with the Post
Department o National q. AR. To this end Con-
ference Committees have been provided in addi-
ton TO tire official channels of communication viz
Post Commander and Corps President Depart
ment Commander and Department President
COMMANDMENTS Chief and National President.
Revised Rules and Regulations clearly express
the power OF "a Post over a w. re, viz "A Post by
"A majority vote of It's entire membership. after one
months notification to all members of the same
may revoke the charter of Corps which has failed
10 fulhll its obligations in conducting the char
liable and patriotic work to which It Is pledged
Bear ia mind the fact that it is not the Post that
takes tue charter, IL Is the Department President
for the that the women To whom the charter
granted have not proven themselves to be q
true helper of the Post the testimony of the
comrades constituting the Post.
But while q Post may demand the revocation of
a Corps charter, "A Department of the GAR may
not demand n revocation of charter OF u Depart
ment W.RC. Neither Department G. AR
dlsband IL Department of the WOman's Relief
Corps by resolution or otherwise. The Propriety
of this will be at once apparent when il is remem-
bercd that the WOman's Relief Corps by special en-
actment OF the National Encampment has been
given the power of organizing in States and Terri
tories without any condition that the action shall
be reaiiirmed by the Department.
The redress of n Department GAR. which may
disappTove OF the work of the Woman's Relief
Corps il to and through the National Encamp-
ment; viz they may introduce resolution To the
effect that the WOman's Relief Corps has failed To
fulfill the expectations of the GAR. in that par
ticular Department, and that In their opinion the
charter right of tire NOman's Relief Corps To work